A lifelong friendship.

Throughout my childhood and teenage years, Enya was a secret pleasure. I knew that this was one not to be shared with the other kids at school. My first introduction to Enya was through the track ‘Storms in Africa’ which scored a majestic airline commercial for the airline Ansett Australia*. I think I would have been about 7 at the time.

Following that, it was the album ‘The Memory of Trees’, which provided the soundtrack to my summer of 1995. To this day, it takes me back to a time of Christmas, school holidays and childhood happiness. I remember scanning through the leaflet of the CD to discover, with surprise and wonder, that Enya not only composed the music, but played every instrument on the album. Gobsmacked.

Each year, I find a new meaning in the track Anywhere Is, which I must have listened to several thousand times since that first discovery in my childhood.

When in doubt, try Enya.

There is much joy to be found in the search for the hidden wonder and magic within all things (and all people), but sometimes, you just need it to be easy. Sometimes, you just need a simple, unfailingly reliable reminder of the beauty in the world. This is what Enya’s music is for me.

I am utterly in love with the music of this incredible woman. Over the years, when the jigsaw has been coming apart for me, Enya has put it back together like nothing else.

I am endlessly grateful that Enya chose to share her creativity. I’m certainly not the only one, and I’m not the tiniest bit surprised that she is reported as one of the best selling musical artists of all time.

Despite her phenomenal success, she’s not for everyone, and I’m glad. When it comes to Enya’s music, I’m chuffed that I’m one of the ones that just get it.

* Despite a killer TV commercial thanks to Enya’s music, Ansett Australia was not destined to survive as a business, and ceased trading in 2002.